Stray animal numbers rise in Mobile County, decline in Baldwin County

John David Mercer/Staff Photographer"Jasmine" and her litter of nine puppies are pictured Wednesday at the Mobile County Animal Shelter. The number of stray animals in Mobile County has continued to rise even as the number of strays in Baldwin County appears to be in decline, according to animal control officials.MOBILE, Ala. -- The number of stray animals handled by Mobile County animal control continues to rise even as the number handled by its Baldwin County counterpart appears to be in decline, officials said.

Both counties round up strays in the unincorporated areas of their jurisdictions, but they accept animals from smaller municipalities that have no shelters.

Carmelo Miranda, a Mobile County Humane Officer, said that he expects more than 8,000 stray animals to come through the doors of his shelter this year.

The reason for the disparity between Mobile and Baldwin counties remains unclear, but Mobile County officials say the upward trend in their jurisdiction is untenable.

Mobile County managed to find homes for about 2,004 animals last year, according to Nancy Johnson, a spokeswoman for the county, but more than twice as many were euthanized.

"We can't adopt our way out of this problem," she said.

To adopt an animal from the Mobile County Animal Shelter, call 251-574-3647.

In Baldwin County, call the shelter there at 251-972-6834.

Charlotte Plumb, director of the Baldwin County shelter, said that her operation handled 5,504 animals last year, the continuation of a small but steady decline over the last few years. She said she couldn't be sure why the numbers have been decreasing.

"I don't know if it's education, or people are just starting to take more responsibility for their pets, or what," she said.

Shelters and rescue operations in both counties aggressively push spay and neuter programs, and Mobile County recently began working with veterinarians to defray the cost of the surgery.

The price varies by the sex and size of the animal, said Miranda, but the prices offered by participating veterinarians run $20-$30 for cats and $30-$60 for dogs.

In Baldwin County, the surgery is included in the price of the adoption fee, which is $60 for dogs and $50 for cats.

If the number of strays in Mobile County continues to increase, the number of animals the shelter has to euthanize will rise along with it, said Miranda.

Choosing which dog lives and which dies isn't easy, Miranda said.

"It's a job that you have to learn to separate your emotions from. There's no other way," he said.